This invention relates to roof ridge vents for ventilating an attic or upper story of building structures, and in particular, to roof ridge vents that in one embodiment utilizes spiral or circular vent parts.
It is desirable that the attic or upper story of a building structure be vented to atmosphere to prevent heat buildup within the structure. Roof ridge vents have become increasingly popular in providing this needed ventilation. Roof ridge vents extend along the ridge of a pitched roof, and cover a ventilating opening that is cut longitudinally in the roof, usually extending parallel to, and on both sides of, the roof ridge board. A ventilating cap is installed on the roof and extends over the ventilating opening. The ventilating cap includes vent parts attached to the roof adjacent and on both sides of the ventilating opening, which have ventilating passages extending therethrough to vent the building. Examples of such vent caps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,657 and 5,092,225.
Another ventilating cap for ridge roof is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,830,059 that relates to a roof ridge vent in which a ventilating cap consists of a cover extending over the vent opening and which is supported on a roof by longitudinally extending coil springs. The springs are stretched so that the distance between the coils of the springs provides the desired passages through which venting takes place. Porous material, such as a block of foam rubber, may be provided to extend longitudinally adjacent the coiled springs to restrict entry of wind-driven moisture into the ventilating opening. According to another embodiment in the '059 Patent, nonwoven batting material may either be installed within the coils of the spring or may be retained by the springs and extend over the ventilation opening, which can also inhibit entry of wind-driven moisture into the ventilation opening. The '059 Patent also discloses a movable baffle that normally rests in an inactive position against the surface of the roof and responds to wind in excess of a predetermined velocity to move upwardly covering one side of the spring, thereby preventing wind-driven moisture from entering the building. Before wind reaches the predetermined velocity, the baffle remains in an inactive position allowing free venting from the structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide additional embodiments and improvements of the aforementioned ventilating caps.